1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to bicycle accessories and more particularly to load supporting or carrying racks which can be rigidly attached to a bicycle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Modern, light-weight English style bicycles are clean and inexpensive machines for efficiently transporting a person between dry land destinations. Furthermore, bicycling is an extremely healthy pastime, and is noted for improving the stamina, wind and cardio-vascular efficiency of those partaking the sport. Because of these and other advantages, many people are finding it increasingly attractive to use bicycles for around-town commuting and for extended cross-country excursions.
Bicycle riding, however, does have certain drawbacks. For example, a cross-town commuter typically would carry an outer garment, lunch, or even a briefcase to work. A problem encountered is that the commuter cannot both carry those objects in his hands and still ride his bicycle with any degree of efficiency.
A partial solution to this problem has been to attach a basket or rack to the bicycle in or upon which loads may be disposed. However, in the past, baskets and racks have generally been heavy and cumbersome accessories which detrimentally effect the riding responsiveness of the bicycle.
Thus, a demand was created for a light-weight rack that was sufficiently strong to carry normally heavy loads. An example of a rack that was developed in response to this demand is the well known Blackburn carrier which included an elongated load support frame, a U-shaped main strut attached to a mid-portion of the support frame with its legs extending downwardly thereform, a second U-shaped strut which was attached near one end of the support frame so that its legs extended downwardly to attach to terminal portions of respective legs of the main strut, a bent U-shaped stiffening strut attached near the other end of the support frame with its legs extending downwardly so that bent portion of the leg extends down along a good deal of the length of the main strut, and a non-adjustable bracket for attaching the frame to a bicycle.
The Blackburn rack had many advantages over previous bicycle racks, the most important being that the triangular strut configuration imparted a very high degree of stiffness and strength to the rack without adding much weight.
A problem that the prior art does not address is how to adjust the attachment of the rack to the bicycle in order to custom fit the rack to different bicycle types and sizes.